Sitges, Spain

As we continue to work our way to shorter days and cool fall weather, let’s go back to some more sunny days in Spain. But before we travel to the last city of my trip (and my favorite), let’s take a quick stop in the little beach town of Sitges!
Sitges sits about an hour train ride from Barcelona and is a little beach gem. Yes Barcelona has beaches, but they get way too crowded and frankly I’m now a big fan of crowds. We ended up at Sitges because our wonderful tour guide offered us an extra excursion: paddle boarding! I had only done paddle boarding a time or two in Austin and I was definitely not gonna miss a chance to do it in Spain! Plus it meant a day at the beach and a new town to explore! A total win!

Beach Town

The only part that sucked was that we had to wake up early to catch the train to get us to Sitges. This was one of the last days of our trip so we were already dragging! The reason for getting there so early is that paddle boarding is best when the waters are calm. They are at their calmest in the early hours of the morning. Also, we get to beat out the crowds!
 

Not gonna lie, it was nice getting to see the town so quiet and calm. You’ll see later how fast it fills up! And that’s nothing, I heard beaches in Barcelona are worst than this!
 

Paddle Boarding

 
Paddle boarding was an optional activity that our tour guide set up for us. This excursion included the train ride from Barcelona to Sitges and back. Not everyone in our group did paddle boarding, they just came along for some extra beach time! When in Spain!
I was kinda nervous to get out in the water because I did not want to fall. Yes we had our life vest and we started out in the shallow waters, but no one wants to be the first one to fall! Lol. Surprisingly I was able to keep my balance and didn’t fall once!
Y’all these pictures don’t do the Mediterranean Sea justice! I have never seen clearer water in my life. Sorry not sorry USA, but we gotta work on our beaches! It was so clear you could see the jelly fish just floating around. Yes, jelly fish! They were all different sizes and I could have just sat out there and watched them all day, they’re so mesmerizing! Thankfully no one was stung!
 

 
We weren’t allowed to take our phones or cameras out on the water, but our instructor took a GoPro with him and took pictures of all of us (action photos?) and sent them to our tour guide who sent them to us! These are a few of me he captured. They’re not all flattering, but I it’s because I was focusing more on not falling in the water than looking cute! Haha.
 

Exploring Sitges

 
After paddle boarding, I was hungryyyyy! We paddle boarded for about 2 hours! Then we went on a hunt for food! The Spaniards like to sleep in and don’t eat till 11 ish. We only found one spot that was open. Unfortunately, it was not the best.
 

 
I’d like to give them the benefit of the doubt and say that we were their first customers and they weren’t prepared. Can you tell what was our favorite dish of the trip though? Patatas Bravas! Ugh, I still crave them to this day! I found a recipe that I can’t wait to try. I’ll let y’all know how it goes when I do!
After lunch we explored the town a little more. We found the other side of the beach, some shops, candy store, and bake shop. We were able to knock out a few more souvenirs and get to know this little beach town a little better.
When it was getting close to head back to Barcelona, we went down to the beach to cool down a bit. The water felt so nice! Then we hoped back on the train and headed home. I slept the whole way. Lol.
 

---

I never actually got to go to one of the beaches in Barcelona (we just drove by them) and I’m okay with that. I would definitely recommend going out of town a little and finding a little beach town gem like Sitges!
It’s not too big so it’s not overwhelming. And there’s not that many people so you can actually enjoy yourself. I know that when we finally made it back out to the beach we were able to find a nice spot to just cool down in. And I know the other members of our group were able to find prime spots on the beach by getting there so early! Regardless of what you decide to do, a beach day in Spain is a must!